Q: Ira, Erik Spoelstra tells us he has enough and that all his depth will come into play. So . . . Why wasn’t a veteran inbounding instead of Pelle Larsson at the end against Sacramento?; Why wasn’t Duncan Robinson on the floor for that final shot?; Why wasn’t Haywood Highsmith on the court to defend the Kings’ last possession (Spoelstra talks about how Highsmith has a knack for rebounds)? The margin is slim for this team. Those things matter. – Franklin.
A: Yes, they do. And, yes, Monday night was a night rife for second guessing. Yes, Pelle Larsson made several big plays to keep the Heat in it against the Kings, but that doesn’t mean that such an inbounds play couldn’t have been better executed by a veteran such as Alec Burks or even Josh Richardson. Yes, Duncan Robinson has been uneven and his best play has been when playing off of Bam Adebayo, without time for such a sequence at the end Monday. But that doesn’t mean that Duncan wouldn’t have been better suited for such a bailout once the Heat’s initial design was blown up (and another moment when if it wasn’t Pelle inbounding, perhaps a timeout could have been called, since the Heat had one remaining). And while Tyler Herro came up with a huge defensive play moments before, that doesn’t mean that Haywood Highsmith couldn’t have entered defensively for Terry Rozier, who had just been blown past by Malik Monk.
Q: What’s up with Haywood Highsmith? I thought that he would be picking up a lot of Caleb Martin’s minutes, but he is hardly playing, even had some DNPs. Is he hurt? Looks like Nikola Jovic is slotted for the Luke Babbitt role. – David, Fort Lauderdale.
A: Haywood Highsmith’s role has been far more situational than I would have anticipated. Monday against the Kings, it was as if he was the designated reserve defender against DeMar DeRozan (except at a moment of truth). Amid the Heat’s uneven start, I’m of the thinking that the Heat need more of Haywood and of Duncan Robinson. But it’s almost as if the Heat are still in the laboratory when it comes to finding roles and niches for Nikola Jovic and Terry Rozier. To that end, perhaps this remains a period of discovery.
Q: Ira, the one good thing so far is that most of the Heat’s competition in the East are also off to slow starts. The teams that figure things out will be the ones that will go further. – Rich, Plantation
A: Or talent will rise to the top, which, with this roster construction, might not bode as well when it comes to turning it around as others in the East.